Revisiting the Richmond Team of the Century

[Meteoric Rise]

Green stays in, 4 flags and KB reckons it would be 5 if he was there in 72.

Green did not win a Best and Fairest, I am not even sure what his best finish was. He did not represent Victoria. He had several excellent finals series, but so did Paul Sproule, Bachar Houli and Shane Edwards for example. There would be absolutely no chance you would select Green to play in a back pocket in an actual game over the calibre of backmen that are in the conversation. So you would need to select him over two time Brownlow Medallist Roy Wright or Brownlow Medallist, state captain and 15 times state representative Bill Morris in one of the ruck slots. And as good as Green was, he was not of the calibre of those players. Nor would he be better than two time Champion of Colony Vic Thorp nor 5 time All Australian Alex Rance in defence. I just don’t think Michael Green was in Richmond’s best 22 all time, as good as he was, and as significant as he was to the success of the Hafey era.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

I think you're underating Rance and how he changed the game.
He saw where the ball was going before all other players and could therefore play on multiple players at once.
I don't know much about Thorpe but Rance should be picked at full back in any team.

I would have Rance in this team. But not at Thorp’s expense. One exercise that was done awarded Vic Thorp Champion of the Colony in two separate seasons, 1916 and 1919. In other words, he gained recognition for being the best player in the VFL in those two seasons. If this is credible, and I do think Thorp had that type of standing, then he bows to no full back in history, Rance included.

 

[Monjike]

I think you're underating Rance and how he changed the game.
He saw where the ball was going before all other players and could therefore play on multiple players at once.
I don't know much about Thorpe but Rance should be picked at full back in any team.

Thorp was 178cm...these days a small half back size...

 

[Hoos]

Rance is the greatest full back of all time according to many experts so he has Thorpe covered.

Experts? Rance is an all time great but how can anyone who never saw Thorp play say that Rance has him covered?

 

[CASEYS9420]

Our most successful era was actually from 1927 to 44'. In 18yrs we only missed the finals twice and played in eleven GF's (Yes but we only won three). If we were actually serious the team of the century would be flooded with these Great Depression & War time Tigers

TEAM FROM 27-44'
FB: KEVIN ONEILL - MAURIE SHEAHAN - MARTIN BOLGER
HB: BASIL MCCORMACK - JOE MURDOCH - BILL PERKINS
C: ALLAN GEDDES - ERIC ZSCHECH - STAN JUDKINS
HF: MAURIE HUNTER - GORDON STRANG - DOOLEY LILBURNE
FF: DICK HARRIS - JACK TITUS - BILL MORRIS
FOLL: PERCE BENTLEY (VC) - JACK DYER (C) - RAY MARTIN

COACH: FRANK "CHECKER" HUGHES

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Our most successful era was actually from 1927 to 44'. In 18yrs we only missed the finals twice and played in eleven GF's (Yes but we only won three). If we were actually serious the team of the century would be flooded with these Great Depression & War time Tigers

TEAM FROM 27-44'
FB: KEVIN ONEILL - MAURIE SHEAHAN - MARTIN BOLGER
HB: BASIL MCCORMACK - JOE MURDOCH - BILL PERKINS
C: ALLAN GEDDES - ERIC ZSCHECH - STAN JUDKINS
HF: MAURIE HUNTER - GORDON STRANG - DOOLEY LILBURNE
FF: DICK HARRIS - JACK TITUS - BILL MORRIS
FOLL: PERCE BENTLEY (VC) - JACK DYER (C) - RAY MARTIN

COACH: FRANK "CHECKER" HUGHES

I think that era of strength can be extended back to 1919. Grand Finals weren’t played in all those years but we were premier or runner-up on 15 occasions 1919-1944, so 15 of 26 seasons. 5 times premier, 10 times runners-up. Apart from that 26 season span we have only been Premier or runner-up 10 times in the other 88 seasons in the competition.

So I would extend the period but I think you have an excellent point.

 

[Daka]

1990 onwards (off the top of my head)

Grimes - Rance - Bowden
Kellaway - Gaspar - Houli
Deledio - Prestia - Vlaustin
Martin - Richardson - Lambert
Riewoldt - Lynch - Edwards

Ottens - Knights - Cotchin

Broderick - Gale - Bolton - Newman

I probably forgot someone obvious

great side not sure who is missing probably someone but no one that jumps out at me.

 

[Freddy Swift]

Interesting exercise back when.
Was a big fan of the lad from Wycheproof Mervyn Keane, but wouldn't have played a game at CHB in his life I reckon.
Was back pocket in the '74 premiership team and played the bulk of his career on the back flank.
Was actually ruck rover for a period in 80 and definitely on the back flank in the '82 grand final.

Would love to know how close Jimmy Jess got to being picked.
Loved the Ghost!

You’ve brought back some great memories for me personally there Woody. Merv Keane was a great kick on either foot and a good looking bloke as well.
Jimmy Jess used to just mark everything. Those were the days when it was just expected that we would be in the finals every year. Wonderful times.

 

[Wooden Robot]

You’ve brought back some great memories for me personally there Woody. Merv Keane was a great kick on either foot and a good looking bloke as well.
Jimmy Jess used to just mark everything. Those were the days when it was just expected that we would be in the finals every year. Wonderful times.

They sure were great times.
Bourkey was my favourite, but man I idolised Jimmy Jess.
Rapt when I got to meet him years later.

 

[Wooden Robot]

Our most successful era was actually from 1927 to 44'. In 18yrs we only missed the finals twice and played in eleven GF's (Yes but we only won three). If we were actually serious the team of the century would be flooded with these Great Depression & War time Tigers

TEAM FROM 27-44'
FB: KEVIN ONEILL - MAURIE SHEAHAN - MARTIN BOLGER
HB: BASIL MCCORMACK - JOE MURDOCH - BILL PERKINS
C: ALLAN GEDDES - ERIC ZSCHECH - STAN JUDKINS
HF: MAURIE HUNTER - GORDON STRANG - DOOLEY LILBURNE
FF: DICK HARRIS - JACK TITUS - BILL MORRIS
FOLL: PERCE BENTLEY (VC) - JACK DYER (C) - RAY MARTIN

COACH: FRANK "CHECKER" HUGHES

How good a name is Dooley Lilburne?

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

Thorp was 178cm...these days a small half back size...

That's a bit of a handicap in my coaching book...Rancey, bigger physically, takes Thorp's spot for mine...

 

[Infamy]

Thorp was 178cm...these days a small half back size...

That's a bit of a handicap in my coaching book...Rancey, bigger physically, takes Thorp's spot for mine...

That is absolutely NOT a criteria for selecting a team of the century spot
You are selecting them based on their contribution to the club at the time, not what they would be like playing in todays game

I can't believe I even have to say that

 

[Monjike]

That is absolutely NOT a criteria for selecting a team of the century spot
You are selecting them based on their contribution to the club at the time, not what they would be like playing in todays game

I can't believe I even have to say that

Point taken.

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

Point taken.

Well what's the point then...

 

[richoatthedisco]

Cotchin (c), Martin and Rance at least come in. Maybe Jack and Dion too. Not sure who goes out, probably from Knights, Rowe, Raines, Green, maybe Keane, maybe Dean if you're picking Dion.

 

[sregit]

Cotchin (c), Martin and Rance at least come in. Maybe Jack and Dion too. Not sure who goes out, probably from Knights, Rowe, Raines, Green, maybe Keane, maybe Dean if you're picking Dion.

As much as I love Cotchin as a player, he’s not good enough. I’ve seen all the 60,70, 80s players live and of course our recent crop. Dusty in for Dean and Rance for Green. Green was the best ruck I’ve seen at Richmond and a star in finals but his record does not stack up to Morris and RR as rucks.

 

[Monjike]

Well what's the point then...

I just wanted to avoid an argument...

 

[Monjike]

Career records[edit] I thought this might be of help...​

Statistic	Record	Player	Seasons inclusive
Most league Best and Fairest awards	2	Roy Wright	1952, 1954
Most seasons as league leading goal kicker	3	Jack Riewoldt	2010, 2012, 2018
Most All-Australian selections	5	Alex Rance	2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Most Brownlow Medal votes	191	Dustin Martin	2010–current
Most club Best & Fairest awards	5	Jack Dyer	1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946
Kevin Bartlett	1967, 1968, 1973, 1974, 1977
Most seasons as club leading goal-kicker	13	Matthew Richardson	1994, 1996–1999, 2001–2008
Games played	403	Kevin Bartlett	1965–1983
Games played as captain	188	Trent Cotchin	2013–current
Games as coach	274	Damien Hardwick	2010–current
Goals	970	Jack Titus	1926–1943
Disposals	9151	Kevin Bartlett	1965–1983
Kicks	8293	Kevin Bartlett	1965–1983
Handballs	2736	Dale Weightman	1978–1993
Marks	2270	Matthew Richardson	1993–2009
Tackles	1033	Trent Cotchin	2008–current
Hit Outs	4304	Mark Lee	1977–1991
Clearances	1295	Trent Cotchin	2008–current
Inside 50s	1246	Dustin Martin	2010–current
Rebound 50s	1006	Joel Bowden	1996–2009
One percenters	1557	Alex Rance	2009–2019
Last updated 8 September 2021[74]

 

[richoatthedisco]

As much as I love Cotchin as a player, he’s not good enough. I’ve seen all the 60,70, 80s players live and of course our recent crop. Dusty in for Dean and Rance for Green. Green was the best ruck I’ve seen at Richmond and a star in finals but his record does not stack up to Morris and RR as rucks.

You reckon Roger Dean was a better player than Cotch? I never saw Dean, but I saw Keane, Knights, Raines and Cotch has them all covered.

 

[TigerImposter]

Dean and Green should always be seen somewhere in between our team of the century. Absolute legends of the club.

 

[TigerImposter]

I think the time frame of 100years is too broad as to fit so many greats into a team is too difficult and many greats are left out. It also loses a lot of history of great players and doesn’t tell the younger generation of Tigers much of our past greats.
I would be much happier with teams of a quarter of a century. People will argue that we had two poor periods of around 25 and 37 years between flags, but some of those legends were still around in two 25year periods due to overlap on where their careers started. They would then be in two sides . This would give us all a more realistic idea on who our greats were along our vfa:vfl:afl journey.
Another thing that has bobbed up is that Thorp was only 178cm and a fullback of Prestia’s height. Hart the Greatest Tiger CHF I was told was around Cotchin’s height . In most sports , tennis included athletes have become taller and stronger over the past 40 years so it shouldn’t become a factor when making a selection . It should solely be based on their achievements in their era. This is bc they outshone their opponents in the time they played.

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Team of this century?
What if your lucky enough to play games in the last and the present.
You still Eligible?
Is there a certain number of games you have to play?
Because Richo & Knighta come to mind plus others

This century.(ATS)
B:Grimes/Astbury/Gasper
HB:Houli/Rance/Vlas
C:Richo/Cotch/McIntosh
HF:Lambert/JackR/Shedda
F: Dusty/Lynch/Bolton
R:Nank/Knights/Prestia
IC:Bowden/Deledio/Campbell/Gale.

 

[Wallaby]

Jimmy Jess used to just mark everything. Those were the days when it was just expected that we would be in the finals every year. Wonderful times.

It's interesting how our memory plays tricks on us. Our remembrances are much more emotional than accurate.

Jim Jess played for 13 seasons. We made the finals in 3 of them. And, yes - I associate Jim Jess with the 1980 flag, and the 1982 flag we should have won.

 

[Serenity_Now]

Out: Hafey
In: Dimma

 

[Monjike]

Out: Hafey
In: Dimma

For this century...